Inspiration for next season’s home improvements

Experience personalised smart living

A truly smart home should feel effortless, intuitive, and uniquely yours. Control4 brings lighting, entertainment, climate, security and more together in one personalised system, giving you simple control from a touchscreen, remote, keypad or smartphone.

Designed around the way you live, Control4 creates customised automations that enhance everyday moments, from setting the perfect atmosphere for an evening at home to simplifying your daily routine. During October, C4Yourself Events invites you to visit a Control4 certified showroom to experience personalised smart living for yourself.

You can find a C4Yourself event near you and plan your visit via the Control4 website.

Create a sofa as individual as your home

Born in Italy and built on a passion for beautiful, long-lasting furniture, poltronesofà is one of Europe’s largest sofa and armchair brands, and has been perfecting the art of comfort for more than 30 years. Its range includes standard two-, three- and four-seater sofas, large corner sofas with integrated storage, and reclining sofas with integrated technology. Think wireless charging, heated and massage seats, cup holders, USB ports and LED lights.

Its contemporary collection includes adaptable features, such as sliding seats and head tilts, and the sofas are made to order, so you can match your setup to your vision. Choose from more than 200 fabrics, from textured weaves to soft velvet and real leathers, and select the colour that suits your home and style, from calming neutrals to vibrant shades. Even better, at the time of writing, Christmas delivery is currently available.

Refresh your interiors for a cosy winter

Christmas has a way of arriving faster than you’d expect. If you suddenly realise that your sofa or dining table won’t accommodate all of your guests, Swyft makes a festive refresh easier to manage. Its sofas-in-a-box, sofa beds, dining and bedroom furniture arrive quickly (some can even be delivered the next day) and can be assembled in minutes.

What’s more, the brand’s compact packaging makes navigating narrow hallways and stairs a breeze, and Swyft’s 100-day guarantee gives you time to decide if the choice is right before your guests arrive. The collection of stylish home additions will help you prepare for the season, so you can enjoy it stress-free.

You can get five per cent off with code “SWYFTXMAS5” until 31 October 2026.

Introduce a smart device ecosystem

Colder weather can really put a home through its paces, but Shelly’s smart home ecosystem can make it simpler to connect lights, thermostats, appliances, energy monitoring and security through one app. Plug-and-play products such as the Shelly Plus Plug UK, the Shelly camera, the humidity and temperature sensor, the flood sensor and the door/window sensor can be introduced individually and expanded over time, giving you complete control over your home.

Shelly works with existing interior features, with compact retrofit modules installed behind switches and sockets or within electrical panels. Whether you’re creating a welcoming glow for guests, keeping the house comfortable or checking everything is switched off and that doors and windows are closed before heading out, this smart technology gives you added peace of mind.

You can save 10 per cent on selected products with code “SHELLYHOME10” until 31 December 2026. The discount code can’t be used in conjunction with wider promotions.

Power up your home’s seasonal glow

In winter, homes come to life as family and friends gather amid twinkling lights for music, food and general merriment. The Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 offers compact, reliable power to help keep your devices running throughout the season, wherever they’re needed around the home. With a 1,070Wh capacity and 1,500W output, it can power decorative lighting, speakers, projectors and everyday devices, offering extra flexibility when sockets are limited or festivities extend beyond a single room.

The lightweight, compact design makes it easy to move and store, while its fast-charging capability and advanced ChargeShield 2.0 safety technology provide dependable performance for celebrations. The Explorer 1000 v2 is a smart addition to the home over the Christmas period, helping to create a warm, connected and entertaining environment that everyone can enjoy together.

Keep warm this winter and upgrade your heating

Heating is where households use most of their energy, so it’s the upgrade worth getting right. A Daikin air source pump is designed to give you steady warmth and hot water throughout winter, and, in many homes, it will work with the radiators you already have installed. Daikin has spent decades refining heating and cooling technology, so you get proven performance and efficient design from a trusted name in home boiler installation.

You can also access help with the cost. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme offers £7,500 towards a heat pump in England and Wales, rising to £9,000 for eligible homes heated by oil or LPG. Overall, upgrading to a heat pump is a sustainable way to save money, future-proof your home and reduce your carbon footprint.

Enlist the services of a luxury design firm

Intelligent, craft-led design can unlock the full potential of a space and transform existing constraints into exceptional designs. Buckley Gray Yeoman is an architecture and design firm that understands that the best boutique hotels offer a masterclass in interior design.

At the recently completed hotel The Shepherd in Mayfair, the firm faced a familiar challenge. Given the space constraints of the existing site, the focus was to balance luxury and efficiency. Consequently, a yacht cabin philosophy shaped every decision, producing rooms where every element has a clear purpose. Luxury is expressed through bespoke craftsmanship and highly tactile materials, while double-height bay windows flood the rooms with natural light. This integrated approach proves that exceptional spaces rely on craft, not size.

Visit the firm’s website to discover how this kind of architectural thinking can transform your own living environment.

Rethink the kitchen as a living space

A kitchen can be so much more than simply a place to cook. Gaggenau approaches it as an architectural and social space, bringing together professional-grade appliances, high-quality materials and a distinctive design language. The German brand, whose history dates back to 1683, has opened a new 6,900sq ft flagship in London.

Designed as a destination for both design professionals and stylish homeowners, the space showcases Gaggenau’s design philosophy across cooking appliances, refrigeration and the latest technology. Among the portfolio on display are the Gaggenau Expressive and Minimalist series, as well as the Vario cooling Expressive series and wine climate cabinets, offering visitors a wealth of inspiration for integrating smart appliances into contemporary kitchens.

If you are passionate about home design and luxury living, visit Gaggenau London at 6/7 Portman Square, W1H 6LA to experience the brand’s design philosophy in person.

Keep surfaces fresh by removing limescale

Limescale is the invisible enemy in kitchens and bathrooms. Removing limescale from taps, glass and worktops usually means reaching for an acidic descaler, but these can etch stone, attack quartz and strip brushed, black and designer finishes, so many tap-makers warn against them.

Halcyan is a salt-free water-conditioning system, fitted at the stopcock. It’s an alternative to a salt-based water softener, with no salt, no maintenance and no cupboard space lost. It gives whole-house protection, preventing limescale buildup and helping to break down existing buildup over time. Healthy minerals stay in the water, making it a no-brainer for those seeking people-friendly, sustainable water. Halcyan is WRAS (Water Regulations Advisory Scheme) approved and its products come with a 30-year warranty.

Get a free finish care pack, including a microfibre cloth and finish care card, with code “WATER26” when you make a purchase at Halcyanwater.com before 30 November 2026.

Take inspiration from quintessentially English gardens

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) provides year-round inspiration for your outdoor spaces, with its gardens, flower shows and expert advice connecting you to the outdoors. Sign up to become a member and enjoy unlimited access to its five UK gardens – RHS Garden Wisley, RHS Garden Bridgewater, RHS Garden Hyde Hall, RHS Garden Harlow Carr and RHS Garden Rosemoor – along with 240 RHS Partner Gardens across the UK and worldwide, providing horticultural excellence and inspirational days out.

What’s more, you’ll enjoy reduced-rate tickets to RHS flower shows, including RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which celebrates the very best of garden design, horticulture and innovation, as well as welcoming celebrated figures in society and pop culture. You’ll also find horticultural advice and monthly inspiration from The Garden magazine, which will be delivered monthly as part of your membership.

Save 30 per cent on RHS membership for new customers joining by annual direct debit at Rhs.org.uk before 31 December 2026.

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